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Lubrication System Oil is the life blood of the engine. Oil cannot be compressed, so when
it forms a thin film on engine components, it keeps them from
contacting each other. If an engine component is starved for oil for
just a short period of time irreversible damage can occur.

The purpose of the lubrication system is to be certain oil is constantly

supplied to all components that require it. It pumps oil throughout the
engine through small passages and tubes in the engine block and
cylinder head.

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Oil Circuit These components and passages make up the oil circuit. The oil
circuit starts with the oil pan or sump. The oil pump draws oil from the
pan through a pick up screen and filter. The oil is then pressurized
and sent to the main oil passage. From here the oil flows through a
multitude of circuits and passages to feed various components and
moving parts. Eventually, the oil drains back to the oil pan to start the
journey all over again.

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Oil Pump Modern Toyota engine oil pumps are mounted in the front timing
cover. The oil pump is driven by the front shaft of the crankshaft. The
oil pump draws oil from the oil pan and directs it through the oil filter
then on to the main oil passage in the cylinder block.

NOTE When installing the timing cover, it is important to remember to install

the o-rings for the oil pump and oil filter. Low oil pressure may result if
these o-rings are not installed.

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Oil Jets In the past, oil was splashed onto the cylinder walls either by excess
oil from crankshaft journals or oil slung from the crankshaft passing
through oil in the pan. Today, the crankshaft does not pass through
the oil in the pan as it rotates thus reducing friction and engine load.
Instead, oil is sprayed directly into the lower end of the cylinder by oil
jets mounted in the cylinder block.

NOTE When inspecting for a lack of lubrication concern or during engine

block replacement, it is important to check oil jet function. Use
compressed air to test the check ball and make sure the oil passages
are not blocked.

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Oil Filter The oil filter illustrated above uses a replaceable paper element that
comes with a drain tube. Before removing the filter cap to replace the
element, remove the drain plug and insert the drain tube in the cap to
drain the oil from the filter.

This type of oil filter requires SST 09228-06501 to remove and

replace the filter cap. When tightening the filter cap, be careful not to
over tighten. If the filter cap is over tightened, it might be damaged
the next time someone attempts to remove it.

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Oil Cooler Like most automotive fluids, excessive heat reduces engine oil life.
Under certain operating conditions-- such as towing-- auxiliary oil
coolers are installed to help maintain engine oil temperature.

Oil coolers may introduce oil into the cooling system or vise versa if
o-rings or other internal components fail. It is important to inspect oil
coolers if fluids become cross contaminated.

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Oil Properties The purpose of oil is not just to lubricate to reduce wear. Oil also
and Grades cools, cleans and helps seal the pistons.

Multigrade oil is signified with two viscosity measurements. Look at

0W-20 grade motor oil for example. The 0W indicates a low viscosity
when cold. Oils with a low value before the W allow for easier engine
starting in cold weather.

The 20 in 0W-20 indicates a higher viscosity when the oil is at its

operating temperature. An oil with an even higher viscosity may be
recommended if the vehicle is operated at high speeds, or under
extreme load conditions.

Viscosity and Temperature Viscosity describes how easily a liquid pours. Low viscosity liquids
pour easily. They may be described as “thin.” Water has a low
viscosity. High viscosity liquids pour slowly. They may be described
as “thick.” Pancake syrup has a higher viscosity than water,

As temperature decreases, a liquid’s viscosity goes up. Example:

syrup pours more slowly when it’s cold. As temperature increases, a
liquid’s viscosity goes down. Example: syrup pours more easily when
it’s hot.

NOTE Multigrade oils include additives that cause the oil to become thicker
when heated. That is why 0W-20 is thinner when it’s cold and thicker
when it’s hot.

Current Toyota engines use multigrade engine oil meeting the ILSAC
GF-4 specification for 2005 and newer engines. Oil with the API SM
rating is ILSAC GF-4 compliant.

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Oil Inspection An initial oil inspection should be performed during every service.

First, the engine oil level should be noted. If the engine oil level is low
and there are no signs of an external leak it may be necessary to
pursue a possible oil consumption concern.

Second, the oil should be inspected for its condition. Note color,
smell, and quality. If any of these seem out of the ordinary, further
inspection may be necessary.

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Oil Pressure Test An oil pressure test provides a good indication of oil pump operation.
Unfortunately, this test does not guarantee oil pressure is being
delivered throughout the entire lubrication system.

For example, if good readings are shown at idle with the oil pressure
tester but severe lifter noise is present, this may indicate a restriction
is present somewhere in the system.

Like a good doctor does, however, you should verify the “heart” or
pump is working adequately first before condemning another
component or system.

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Causes of High or Some of the causes of low or high oil pressure include:
Low Oil Pressure
Oil Level Too High. When the oil level is too high, the crankshaft
may splash the oil, causing it to become aerated. Air in the oil is
compressible and reduces pump efficiency.

Missing Oil Plugs. Some of the oil passages are formed by drilling
into the block and then plugging the entry hole. A missing plug
creates a leak in the system preventing it from being able to
pressurize.

Plugged Oil Filter. A plugged oil filter creates a restriction in the

system that reduces the oil pressure in the oil circuit after the filter.
Most filters have a bypass valve that opens when the restriction from
a plugged filter becomes too high. The oil still flows, but the oil
pressure is reduced to what is permitted by the bypass valve.

Sticking Pressure Relief Valve. The oil pump pressure relief valve is
designed to open when oil pressure is too high, allowing some of the
pressurized oil to leak back into the oil pan. If the relief valve is
sticking, it may not be able to open when necessary to reduce oil
pressure. If the relief valve is stuck open, the system will be unable to
pressurize adequately.

Worn Engine Bearings or Excessive Oil Clearance. The tiny space

between the bearings and journals creates the resistance necessary
to pressurize the oil system. If the space between bearings and
journals is greater than normal, then it allows oil to leak out faster
than normal resulting in lower oil pressure.

Air Leak in Oil Pickup Tube. If the oil pump is getting air in it, the
pump will not work efficiently because the air is compressible.
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Oil Pump Inspection- The tip clearance dictates the oil pump’s effectiveness. The greater
Tip Clearance the clearance, the less effective the pump is at generating output
pressure.

Typically, modern engine oil pumps generate adequate pressure

when driving down the road but it is important to generate sufficient
pressure at all driving conditions, even idle. A too-tight clearance may
cause the pump to bind and prematurely fail.

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Oil Pump Inspection- Oil pump side clearance ensures the pump does not bind inside the
Side Clearance housing. If clearance is too excessive, oil pressure will be low. If
clearance is too tight, the pump will prematurely wear and eventually
fail.

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Oil Pump Inspection- Oil pump body clearance ensures the pump does not bind inside the
Body Clearance housing. If clearance is too excessive, oil pressure will be low. If
clearance is too tight the pump will prematurely wear and eventually
fail.

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Cooling System Engine coolant serves two main purposes:

Routing and Flow • Exchange the byproduct of combustion (heat) with the
atmosphere to maintain a constant operating temperature
• Provide heat to the occupants inside the cabin.

Engineers have found that an engine regulated at a constant

temperature produces the maximum efficiency and power, and the
least emissions.

As seen in the illustration above, the cooling system routes coolant

throughout the vehicle for use in a variety of different systems.

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Coolant Passages In the UR engine family, the water pump circulates the engine coolant
and directs it to the engine coolant distribution pathway located between
the left and right banks. From there, the engine coolant is uniformly
distributed to each cylinder of the cylinder block, and is also directly
discharged to the cylinder heads. As a result, the cooling performance of
the cylinder heads is assured and reliability is improved.

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Water Jacket Heat is produced inside the combustion chamber where temperatures
can exceed 1800ºF. Therefore, cooling the engine requires cooling
the combustion chambers.

To achieve cooling, the upper half of the cylinders are surrounded by

a cavity called a water jacket, where coolant can circulate to absorb
heat from the cylinders.

Water Jacket Spacer A plastic insert called a water jacket spacer is sometimes placed in
the water jacket. The spacer alters coolant flow to provide more
uniform cooling of the cylinder walls to avoid “cool” spots.

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Water Pump The water pump in modern Toyota engines is mounted to the timing
cover. The timing cover is equipped with inlet and outlet passages
and sealed by a water pump gasket.

The water pump is belt-driven by the crankshaft. The water pump

rotor that forces the coolant through the engine is mounted on a
shaft, that is mounted to the housing on a sealed bearing. On the
exterior of the water pump, the shaft is attached to the water pump
pulley which is driven by the crankshaft. When the bearing begins to
fail coolant will slowly begin to leak through the housing. This leak will
be noticed coming through the “weep hole.” If and when this condition
happens, the water pump must be replaced.

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Electric Water Pump The 2ZR-FXE engine (2010 Prius) has one electric water pump.
Other hybrid models have both a belt-driven main water pump and a
smaller electric water pump. The electric water pump allows coolant
to be circulated through the heater core when the engine is off.

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Thermostat A thermostat with a bypass valve is located on the water inlet

housing. Based on the coolant temperature, the thermostat opens
and closes to control coolant flow to the radiator. Its purpose is to
regulate coolant temperature for optimum engine operation.

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Radiator The radiator is the heat exchanger for the cooling system. The
radiator is made up of an upper and lower radiator tank with hundreds
of small pipes connecting them. Between these pipes are thin metal
fins.

Coolant flowing through the engine aborbs heat. As hot coolant flows
through the radiator, air passes over the fins removing heat. After the
heat is absorbed by the atmosphere, the coolant is then routed back
to the engine to begin the process again.

For the radiator to operate efficiently, air must be able to pass through
the fins and coolant needs to be able to pass through the tubes.
Debris on the fins or bent cooling fins will lower the radiator’s ability to
exchange heat. Internal scaling or impurities will also restrict coolant
flow lowering the radiator’s performance.

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Cooling Fan Cooling fans operate when coolant temperature reaches a

predetermined threshold or when the A/C is on. Fans mounted on
back of the radiator (engine side) are designed to pull air through the
radiator. Fans mounted in front of the radiator push air through it.

Toyota typically uses two types of cooling fans; electric or fluid

coupling. Electric fans are ECM controlled and can have multiple
speeds. Fluid coupling fans use a thermostatic spring to control the
amount of fluid in the coupling, and thus control the fan speed.

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Engine Coolant TOYOTA Genuine Super Long Life Coolant (SLLC) is a high quality
ethylene-glycol-based, non-silicate, non-amine, non-nitrite and non-
borate coolant with long-life hybrid organic acid technology. Coolant
with long-life hybrid organic acid technology uses a combination of
low phosphates and organic acids.

Pre-mixing the coolant with pure water is what gives SLLC its long
life. Do not dilute with water.

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Coolant Dilution Adding coolant to water lowers the water’s freezing point. This
protects the engine from the damaging effects that can occur from the
expansion of water when it turns to ice. Maximum freeze protection
occurs with a mixture of about 68% coolant. As the percentage of
coolant increases beyond 68%, the freezing point of the coolant
mixture actually rises. The recommended range for diluting coolant is
to a mixture of 50% to 65% coolant.

Another reason for diluting coolant is that water is much more efficient
at removing heat from the engine than coolant. Therefore, including
the right percentage of water in the coolant mixture is necessary for
optimum cooling system performance.

Effect of Pressure on When under pressure, the boiling point of water increases. In fact, the
Boiling Point boiling point increases 3º F for each 1 psi of added pressure.
Therefore a radiator cap capable of holding 13 psi will increase the
water’s boiling point to 251º F.

Cooling System Safety Pressurization of the cooling system is why it is dangerous to loosen
the radiator cap when the engine is warmed up. When the pressure is
released, the boiling point drops suddenly and the water turns
instantly to steam. Because of the amount of calories of heat water
must absorb to turn into steam, steam burns are much worse than
burns from boiling water.

CAUTION Before loosening the radiator cap, carefully test the radiator hose to
see if it is hot. If it is not too hot to touch, squeeze it with your hand to
determine if the radiator system is pressurized. Do not loosen the
radiator cap until you are sure the radiator system has cooled.

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Cooling System Heat is very detrimental to the internal combustion engine. If the
Problems cooling system does not do its job and the engine is allowed to
operate at temperatures higher then normal, then components and
fluids such as oil will start to break down and eventually fail. A
properly operating cooling system is very important for the long life of
an engine, and it’s your job to ensure the cooling system is operating
properly.

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Coolant Leak Test The cooling system is designed to operate under pressure. This
pressure is regulated by the radiator cap. Water normally boils at 212
degrees F, but increasing the pressure in the cooling system raises
the boiling point and allows the cooling system to operate above 212
degrees F.

When testing cooling systems for leaks, it is important to simulate the

same operating conditions. To do this a cooling system tester
pressurizes the system to enable technicians to check for leaks and
verify the system can hold pressure.

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Cooling Fan To inspect the cooling fan, allow the engine to reach operating
Inspection temperature and verify the cooling fan is activated when the cooling
system temperatures start to rise above normal. You may need to
hold the engine RPM above idle to raise cooling system temperatures
above normal.

Depending on vehicle model and year, electric fans may be activated

through Techstream. This will ensure the fan functions and can be
operated by the ECM. However, this does not confirm the ECM will
trigger the fans under the proper operating conditions. Always allow
the cooling system to reach normal operating conditions and verify
the fans are activated.

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Cooing System When servicing the cooling system; drain and refill the radiator with
Service the proper Toyota genuine coolant. SLLC comes premixed with water;
do not dilute.

To ensure proper cooling system operation, all air must be purged

from the system:
• Squeeze both inlet and outlet radiator hoses and recheck the
level in the radiator. If low, add coolant to the reservoir and
replace the radiator cap.
• Start the engine and allow the engine to reach operating
temperature. If coolant temperature exceeds normal operating
temperatures, stop the engine and wait for it to cool down. Check
coolant level, refill reservoir and restart.

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